The Long Road Home for Curtis

The Long Road Home for Curtis

Disaster Recovery Continues in Rural Communities

Pisgah Legal Services Attorney Julia Horrocks is helping Curtis understand his rights and options so that he can stay on his family land after Hurricane Helene damaged his home.

Tucked deep in the woods at the end of a long, winding gravel road, Curtis’ home sits on family land in Yancey County. He heats with a wood stove, hauls water from a nearby creek, and has built a peaceful life through hard work and self-reliance.

Now in his 60s, Curtis is one of the first to offer a helping hand to anyone who needs it but one of the last to ask for help himself. Multiple trees crashed onto his home during Hurricane Helene, causing significant roof damage and leaks, and flooding from the storm washed out parts of the shared road.

Curtis wanted to stay on the family land he loved but didn’t have the financial ability to do so. He did not have homeowners insurance and is unable to drive or use technology. On top of that, Curtis has significant hearing loss. Together, he had a difficult time finding the help he needed.

Pisgah Legal Services Managing Attorney Julia Horrocks and staff worked around his communication needs, finding times that worked to connect, meeting him where he was, and building the trust needed to then help him with the legal work ahead.

“There’s a lot of people in the Appalachian region who simply have no resources,” said Curtis. “That’s where Pisgah Legal made the difference for me.”

Meeting People Where They Are

“No one really wants to have to work with an attorney, but when you do, you want it to be somebody who you trust and who knows your community,” said Julia. “We make sure that we have folks here in our rural areas who not only work out of these offices but also live in the community and know the people.”

Pisgah Legal has spent many years working in rural communities like Yancey County. By building longstanding relationships with community partners and forming a trusted presence, attorneys and staff were able to jump right in after Helene to help.

“We know that having an attorney makes a significant difference in whether someone’s successful in the legal outcome for their case,” said Julia. “Maybe that’s going to court, helping fill out documents, or just advising someone which can make a significant difference in whether they’re going to get the relief that they’re eligible for.”

Since working with Curtis, Julia helped him access Red Cross funds to supplement what he was awarded through FEMA and connected him with the local Yancey Long-Term Recovery Group for additional assistance with various other needs. She’s also helped him throughout the Renew NC application process, navigating duplication of benefits issues and providing guidance and advice to make sure he knows his rights and options so he can make the best decision for himself.

The Road Home

Curtis was approved through Renew NC for a new stick-built home, and the project is in the pre-construction phase. However, there are still decisions and steps to take before he walks through the front door of his new home.

Until then, Julia and her team will continue to guide him through the process, connecting him to available resources and making sure he receives every benefit he is entitled to. Disaster recovery is a long and difficult road, but for Curtis, staying on the land where his father once encouraged him to build a small, peaceful place of his own has made every step worthwhile.

“There’s not a square foot hardly of this place that I can’t look and see my Daddy,” said Curtis.